GAIN in the Community Colleges: A Report on the 1989-90 Survey on Participants and Funding in the Greater Avenues for Independence Program.

Hill, Jim

The Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) program is a comprehensive effort by the state of California to provide education, and employment and support services to eligible welfare recipients. In cooperation with county welfare departments, the California community colleges (CCC) are one of the major systems providing GAIN services to welfare clients. In 1990, a survey was conducted in the CCC system to determine basic information on the scope and nature of GAIN programs during 1989-90. Questionnaires were mailed to the chief executive officer and GAIN contact person at each of the 107 community colleges in California. Study findings, based on an 88% response rate, included the following: (1) the number of program participants systemwide increased to 21,820 in 1989-90, up 40% from the previous year; (2) 68.9% of the GAIN students were female, 60.4% were non-white, and 84% were 25 years of age or older; (3) total GAIN funding for community colleges was $35.6 million in 1989-90, up from $26.6 million in 1988-89; (4) credit average daily attendance (ADA) produced 83% of apportionment dollars for the combined ADA categories; (5) in both 1988-89 and 1989-90, most apportionment-funded instruction for GAIN students was in non-basic skills courses, although basic skills increased from 23% of total ADA in 1988-89 to 32% in 1989-90; and (6) of colleges with GAIN contracts, 72% provided GAIN vocational assessment for county welfare departments. Appendixes provide district-level data and legislative definitions of GAIN services. (JMC)